Well packer



April 29, 1958 R. c. BAKER 2,832,418

WELL PACKER Filed Aug. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

fizz/54w C Baas/e pril 29, 1958 Filed Aug, 16, 195

R. C. BAKE WELL PACKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Kauai/v L. 152 5 3 United States Patent WELL PACKER Reuben C. Baker,Coalinga, Califi, assignor to Baker Oil Tools, Inc., Los Angeles,Calif., a corporation of California Application August 16, 1955, SerialNo. 528,692

14 Claims. (Cl. 166-136) The present invention relates to well packersadapted to be anchored in packed-off condition in a well bore, and moreparticularly to well packers which can function as bridge plugs in wellbores.

An object of the invention is to provide a well packer, or the like,capable of being run in a well bore on a wire line to the desiredsetting point, easily set at such point, and then, if desired, beelevated back up the well bore, or he allowed to remain in its setposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a well packer or the likecapable of being lowered through fluid in a well bore on a wire line,anchored in the well bore against downward movement therein, and then,if desired, subsequently elevated within the well bore.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well packer or bridgeplug of the character indicated, which is comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture and easy to operate, but which is still capable ofwithstanding substantial fluid pressures in the well bore, or ofsupporting a column of cement slurry that might be deposited on the setpacker or plug.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a formin which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of the present specification. It will nowbe described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the generalprinciples of the invention; but it is to be understood that suchdetailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since thescope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through an apparatus being run in awell casing to a desired setting point;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, disclosing the well packer anchoredin packed-off condition in the well casing;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the elevation of thewell packer in the well casing;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along the line 4-4 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section taken along the line 55 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section taken along the line 66 on Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a wellpacker A is lowered in a well casing B, or through an open well bore, bymeans of a running-in tool C that may be secured to a wire line Dextending to the top of the hole. In place of the wire line D, therunning-in tool could be secured to a tubular string extending to thetop of the well bore. The well packer A is designed to be lowered in thewell casing, or open well bore, to a desired point therein at which thepacker is to be anchored in packed-off condition.

As specifically disclosed, the well packer includes a tubular body 10that may be made of several sections. Thus, the tubular body includes anintermediate portion 2,832,418 Patented Apr. 29, 1958 11 threadedlysecured within a lower guide 12 having a tapered lower end 13 forsteering the packer through restrictions or obstructions that might beencountered in the well bore during lowering of the apparatustherewithin.

The lower guide portion 12 of the body has a plurality of to extendprogressively increasing distances in a lateral i inward direction fromthe axis of the hinge pin. In effect, each gripping member 15 is intheform of an eccentric or cam member. The outer eccentric surface 18 isprovided with a plurality of teeth 19 adapted to grip the wall of thewell casing B, or the wall of an open hole, and prevent downwardmovement of the plug A therewithin.

Each of the casing gripping dogs 15 is urged in an outward direction bya spring 20, to engage its teeth 19 with the Wall of the well casing B,or wall of an open hole. As specifically disclosed, the spring is of thecoil type, being wound about a hub portion 21 of each dog, anintermediate web 22 of each spring engaging the undersurface of thegripping member 15 below the hinge pin 16, and the upper leg portions 23of the spring engaging the guide 12 above the hinge pin. The springstend to expand, pivoting the depending leg portions 17 of the dogsoutwardly to place their teeth v19 in gripping engagement with thecasing or formation wall. Such outward movement tendency of the grippingmembers or dogs 15 under the influence of the springs 20 is initiallyprevented by a holding or retaining device 24 provided on the lower endof a mandrel 25 mounted coaxially of the body of the tool, and extendingthrough the passage 26 of the tool. Actually, there is a substantialannular clearance between the mandrel 25 and the inner wall of the body10 for the flow of fluid therethrough.

The lower end of the mandrel is formed as a generally cylindricalretainer head 24 adapted to engage longitudinally extending surfaces 28on arms 27 of the gripping members 15, extending inwardly of the hingepins 16. These holding surfaces are substantially. parallel to the axisof the apparatus when engaging the head 24, to hold the gripping membersin their retracted positions substantially completely within theconfines of the body guide 12, when the apparatus is being lowered inthe well casing B, to positively prevent outward expansion of thegripping members 15 until such expansion is desired.

The mandrel 25 extends upwardly throughthe body portion 11, and throughan upper spider portion 29, which is integral with the central portion.This spider portion 29 includes a pair of diametrically opposed legs 30in tegral with an outwardly extending body flange 31, the upper ends ofthe legs being secured to a central hub 32 through which the mandrel 25is slidable, and above which the mandrel extends.

Mounted on the body 10 above the gripping members is a packing member 33of generally frusto-conical or cup shape. This packing member has acentral portion 34 engaging the body flange 31, being held securelythereagainst by a thimble 35 encompassing the packing and engaging theupper end of the body. guide 12. The threading of the body guide 12 onthe intermediate body portion 11 will cause the guide to bear againstthe thimble 35 and clamp the packing 33 between the thimble and the bodyflange 31. The packing itself extends outwardly beyond the periphery ofthe thimble 35, and has an wall of the well casing B.

. During the lowering of the well packer A through the fluid in the wellcasing, such fluid is permitted to by-pass the packing structure 33 byflowing upwardly through the annular passage 37 between the mandrel 25and the body 10. It is preferred to controllably prevent downwardmovement of fluid through such passage 37, for which purpose a valvemember or head 38 is slidable downwardly of the mandrel into engagementwith a companion valve seat 39 surrounding the passage 37 at the upperend of the body flange 31. This valve head is urged downwardly intoengagement with the seat by a compressed helical spring 4t) surroundingthe mandrel 25 and seating against the upper end of the head 38, andalso against a washer 41 loosely mounted on the mandrel and adapted toengage a downwardly facing shoulder on the mandrel.

The spring will urge the valve 38 downwardly into engagement with theseat 39 to prevent downward flow of fluid through the passage 37, butfluid can flow upwardly through the passage, this fluid shifting thevalve head upwardly against the force of the spring 449 and away fromits seat 39. When the valve head 38 engages its seat 39, leakage offluid between the mandrel 25 and the valve head is prevented by asuitable seal ring 43, such as a rubber O-ring, mounted in an internalcircumferential groove 44 in the head and slidably sealing against theperiphery of the mandrel.

For the purpose of running the well packer A in the well bore arunning-in tool C is secured to the lower end of a running-in string D,such as a wire line. This running-in tool includes an upper sub or head45' having a central socket 46 for receiving the upper end of themandrel 25, the upper end 47 of the socket being adapted to engage theupper end of the mandrel 25. Secured to the running-in tool sub 45, asby use of welding material M, is a skirt or sleeve 49 extendingdownwardly along the spider legs 30. This skirt or sleeve is secured toone of the legs 30 by a shear pin or shear screw in a position in whichthe end 47 of the socket engages the mandrel 25 and positions the latterdownwardly with its retaining head 24 disposed behind the grippingmember arms 27, to retain the dogs in their retracted position.

The apparatus is run in the well bore, or through the well casing, onthe end of the wire line D to the desired setting point. During suchlowering movement, the mandrel is held in a downward position with itsretaining head 24 disposed behind the gripping members 15 to retain themin the retracted position in Fig. l. The running-in tool C is secured tothe body 10 of the tool A by t the shear screw 50. Accordingly, thedownward force of the running-in tool C is transmitted to the body It),to carry the packing cup 33 and the rest of the parts in a downwarddirection through the fluid in the well bore or casing B. The fluid canby-pass around a well packer by flowing into the lower end of thepassage 37, unseating the valve head 38 against the force exerted by thespring 40, and passing into the well bore or casing B above the packingcup 33.

When the location has been reached in the well bore or casing at whichthe plug is to be anchored in packedoif condition, it is only necessaryto elevate the runningin string D. When such elevating action occurs,the spring will have shifted the valve head 38 downwardly intoengagement with the seat 39, to close the central passage 37 againstdownward flow of fluid therethrough. Since the casing is usuallysubstantially full of fluid, or at least there is a substantial columnof fluid in the casing B above the well packer A, such upward elevatingforce will be exerted on the packing 33, body lltl and valve head 38,which tend to lift the whole column of fluid, but are incapable of doingso, such parts remaining in the location to which they have been loweredin the well casing B. When suflicient force is exerted, as a result ofelevatlng the running-in string D, to shear the pin 50, the running-intool C is released from the body 10 and can be elevated substantiallyabove the body 10 and the mandrel 25. For that matter the tool C can beremoved entirely from the well bore.

As soon as the running-in tool C is moved away from the mandrel 25, thespring 4-0 will shift the mandrel in an upward direction, to move itsretaining head 24 above the gripping member arms 27. Such removal of theretaining head withdraws the restraint from the springs 2t} and allowsthem to pivot the gripping member legs 17 outwardly until their teeth 19engage the wall of the casing B, or formation. The mandrel 25 iselevated to the extent determined by engagement of the washer 41 withthe hub 32 of the body spider 29 (Fig. 2).

Inasmuch as the teeth 19 lie on an eccentric surface, any tendency forthe well packer A to shift downwardly in the casing B will cause thegripping legs 17 to tend to rock in a relative upward direction aboutthe pivot pins 16, which will embed their teeth 19 more firmly into thecasing wall. Any tendency for fluid or fluent material to pass downbeyond the packing structure 33 is prevented by the sealing action ofthe upwardly facing lip 36 of the packing against the wall of the wellcasing, and also by the downward closing of the valve head 38 againstits companion valve seat 39 on the body 10.

In the event it is desired to retrieve the bridge plug A from the wellcasing or well bore, a suitable tool, such as an overshot E, can belowered in the well bore, that is capable of passing over the upperretrieving head portion 6f: of the mandrel and of grasping the same. Anupward pull is then taken on the mandrel 25, moving upwardly through thewasher 41 until an upwardly facing shoulder 61 on its holding head 24engages the valve head 38 to shift the latter in an upward directionfrom its seat 39, and thereby open the body passage 37 to permitrelative downward flow of fluid therethrough. The mandrel is movableupwardly until the spring 40 is compressed to a certain extent, or toits solid height, whereupon, the entire packer is elevated. The packingcup 33 does not prevent upward movement of the plug A in the well bore,since fluid can by-pass around it through the open passage 37. Likewise,the dogs 15 will not prevent upward passage of the tool in the wellbore, inasmuch as upward movement will tend to swing them downwardly andinwardly against the force of their springs 20, their teeth 19 merelyriding freely along the wall of the casing B.

If desired, the well packer or bridge plug A can remain in the wellcasing B. It can form a stop or plug on which a specified quantity ofcement slurry, or the like, can be deposited, which will set and hardenin the well casing, and thereby form a permanent bridge.

At any future time, the bridge plug A with hardened cement thereabovecan be removed by the action of a suitable drill bit to facilitate itsremoval. The several parts of the plug are made of readily drillablematerial such as cast iron, aluminum or magnesium. The sealing andpacking element 33 may be made of rubber or rubberlike materials.

It is, accordingly, apparent that a well packer .has been provided whichis relatively simple to manufacture and to operate. It is easily run inthe well bore on a wire line, being set merely as a result of taking anupward pull on the wire line, or other running-in string. If its removalfrom the well bore is desirable, it is a simple matter to take an upwardpull on the mandrel 25 to open the by-pass passage 37 through the wellpacker, the gripping members 15 themselves being effective only toanchor the well packer A in the well bore B against downward movementtherewithin.

The inventor claims:

1. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a body;packing means on said body adapted to seal with the wall of the wellcasing; gripping means pivotally carried by said body and having acasing gripping portion and a holding portion; means urging saidgripping means about its pivot axis to shift said gripping portionoutwardly into anchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing andsaid holding portion inwardly; and releasable holding means disposedbetween and behind said holding portion and releasably engaging saidholding portion to prevent said holding portion from swinging inwardlyand said gripping portion outwardly to retain said gripping portion inretracted position with respect to said body.

2. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; packing means on said body adapted toseal with the wall of the well casing; gripping means pivotally carriedby said body and including a casing gripping portion on one side of itspivot and a holding portion on the other side of its pivot; means urgingsaid gripping means outwardly to place its gripping portion intoanchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing; and releasableholding means operable by a running-in string and disposed in saidpassage behind and in releasable engagement with said holding portion toretain said gripping means in retracted position with respect to saidbody.

3. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; packing means on said body adapted toseal with the wall of the well casing; gripping means pivotally carriedby said body and including a casing gripping portion on one side of itspivot and a holding portion on the other side of its pivot; means urgingsaid gripping means outwardly to place its gripping portion intoanchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing; releasableholding means operable by a running-in string and disposed in saidpassage and in releasable engagement with said holding portion to retainsaid gripping means in retracted position with respect to said body; andvalve means adapted to close said passage against downward flow of fluidtherethrough.

4. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; packing means on said body adapted toseal with the wall of the well casing; gripping means pivotally carriedby said body and including a casing gripping portion on one side of itsof its pivot and a holding portion on the other side of flits pivot;means adapted 'to swing said grippingmeans outwardly to place itsgripping portion into engagement with the wall of the well casing; andreleasable holding means disposed in said passage and engaging saidrunning-in tool to be held by said running-in tool in releasableengagement with said holding portion to retain said gripping means andits gripping portion in retracted position with respect to said body.

7. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; a running-in tool adapted to be securedto a running-in string; means releasably securing said running-in toolto said body; packing means on said body adapted to seal with the wallof the well casing; gripping means pivotally carried by said body andincluding a casing gripping portion on one side of its pivot and aholding portion on the other side of its pivot; means adapted to swingsaid gripping means outwardly to place its gripping portion intoengagement with the wall of the well casing; releasable holding meansdisposed in said passage and engaging said running-in pivot and aholding portion on the other side of its pivot;

means urging said gripping means outwardly to place its gripping portioninto anchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing; releasableholding means operable by a running-in string and disposed in saidpassage and i in releasable engagement with said holding portion toretain said gripping means in retracted position with respect to saidbody; valve means adapted to close said passage against downward flow offluid therethrough; and means on said holding means for shifting saidvalve means to open position.

5. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a body; arunning-in tool adapted to be secured to a running-in string; meansreleasably securing said running-in tool to said body; packing means onsaid body adapted to seal with the wall of the well casing; grippingmeans pivotally carried by said body and including a casing grippingportion on one side of its pivot and a holding portion on the other sideof its pivot; means adapted to swing said gripping means outwardly toplace its gripping portion into engagement with the wall of the wellcasing; and holding means engaging said runningin tool to be held bysaid running-in tool in releasable engagement with said holding portionto retain said gripping means and its gripping portion in retractedposition with respect to said body.

6. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; a running-in tool adapted to be securedto a running-in string; means releasably securing said running-in toolto said body; packing means on said body adapted to seal with the wallof the well casing; gripping means pivotally carried by said body andincluding a casing gripping portion on one side tool to be held by saidrunning-in tool in releasable engagement with said holding portion toretain said gripping means and its gripping portion in retractedposition with respect to said body; and valve means adapted to closesaid passage against downward flow of fluid therethrough.

8. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; a running-in I tool adapted to be securedto a running-in string; means releasably securing said running-in toolto said body; packing means on said body adapted to seal with the wallof the well casing; gripping means pivotally carried by said body andincluding a casing gripping portionon one side of its pivot and aholding portion on the other side of its pivot; means adapted to swingsaid gripping means outwardly to place its gripping portion intoengagement with the wall of the well casing; releasable holding meansdisposed in said passage and engaging said running-in tool to be held bysaid running-in tool in re leasable engagement with said holding portionto retain said gripping means and its gripping portion in retractedposition with respect to said body; valve means adapted to close saidpassage against downward flow of fluid therethrough; and means on saidholding means for shifting said valve means to open position.

9. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; packing means on said body adapted toseal with the wall of the well casing; gripping means pivotally carriedby said body and including a casing gripping portion on one side of itspivot and a holding portion on the other side of its pivot; meansadapted to swing said gripping means outwardly to place its grippingportion into engagement with the wall of the well casing; a mandreldisposed in said passage and engaging said holding portion to retainsaid gripping means in retracted position with respect to said body; andmeans for elevating said mandrel with respect to said body to releasesaid mandrel from said holding portion.

10. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; packing means on said body adapted toseal with the wall of the well casing; gripping members pivotallycarried by said body and including a casing gripping portion on one sideof its pivot and a holding portion on the other side of its pivot;spring means engaging said gripping members to swing said grippingmembers outwardly to place their gripping portions into engagement withthe wall of the well casing; and a mandrel movable longitudinally withrespect to the body and disposed in the body passage; said mandrelhaving retaining means thereon disposed between and behind and engagingsaid holding portions of said gripping members to hold said grippingmembers in retracted position with respect to said body.

11. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the swam-1e like abodyhaving,a'passagetherethrough; paeking means on.said'lbody.adapted toseal with the wall of the well casing; gripping-members pivotallycarried by said body andincludinga easingv gripping portion on one sideof its-pivot and a holding portion on the other side of its pivot;.'spring means engaging said gripping members to swing vsaid grippingmembers outwardly to place their grippingrportions into engagement withthe wall of the well casing; a mandrel movable longitudinally withrespect to the body and disposed in the body passage; said mandrelhaving retaining 'means thereon engaging said holding portions of saidgripping members to hold said gripping members in retracted positionwith respect to said body; said bodyhaving a valve seat thereonsurrounding saidr passage; and a valve member slidable along .saidmandrel into engagement with said seat to close said passage.

:12. In a well packer to be set in a well easing or the like: a bodyhavinga passage therethrough; packing means onisaid bodyadapted to sealwith the wall of the well easing; gripping members pivotally carried bysaid body and including a casing gripping portion on one side of 'itspivot and a holding portion on the other side of'its pivot; spring meansengaging said gripping members to swing said gripping members outwardlyto place their gripping portions into engagement with the wall of theWell casing; a mandrel movable longitudinally with respect to said bodyand disposed in the body passage; said mandrel having retaining meansthereon engaging said holding portions of said gripping members to holdsaid gripping members in retracted position with respect to said body;said body having a valve seat thereon surroundingsaidpassage; a valvemember slidable along said mandrel intoengagement with said seat toclose said passage; and means-on said mandrel engageable with said valvemember to shift said valve member away from said seat.

13. Ina well packer to be set in a well casing. or the like: a bodyhaving a passage therethrough; packing means on said body adapted toseal with the wall of the well ing engagement with the wall of the wellcasing; releasable holding means disposed in said passage behind and inreleasable engagement with said gripping means to retain said grippingmeans in retracted position with respect to said body; and means formoving said holding means upwardly relative to said body to releasesaidholding means from said gripping means.

14. In a well packer to be set in a well casing or the like: a body; arunning-in tool adapted to be secured to a running-in string; meansreleasably securing said runningin tool to said body; packing means onsaid body adapted to seal with the wall of the well casing; grippingmeans pivotally carried by said body; means adapted to swing saidgripping means outwardly into engagement with the wall of the wellcasing; holding means engaging said running-in tool to be held by saidrunning-in tool in releasable engagement with said gripping means toretain said gripping means in retracted position with respect to saidbody; and means for moving said holding means upwardly relative to saidbody, following release of said running-in tool from said body, .todisengage said holding means from said gripping means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS344,849 Miller et al. July 6, 1886 1,034,963 Boutte Aug. 6, 19122,092,337 Spencer Sept. 7, 193'! 2,547,461 Hampton Apr. 3, 19512,566,323 Forsyth et al. Sept. 5, 1951 2,751,012 Baker et al. June 19,1956

